charlton



' April 1959 R. E. CHARLTON, JR, ETAL 2,882,614

CONVEYING APPARATUS FOR DRYER Filed June 4, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS:

H m ILWLPI V rna L.P,a ne,

April 21 1959 R. E. CHARLTON, JR, ET AL 2,382,514

CONVEYING APPARATUS FOR DRYER Filed June 4, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 F i g. 2Q 12 INVENTORSZ 76 ,Richarfl E. ChazlbomJnf \[erna L.

YMZ 119% MW) ATTORNEYS.

April 21, 1959 R. E. CHARLTON, JR., ETAL 2,882,614 I CONVEYING APPARATUS FOR DRYER Filed June 4, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 V INVENTORS.

34 RahamEma um-hfi Verna L Bayne,

MW, 99% MM) ATTORNEYS.

R. E. CHARLTON, JR, ET AL 2,882,614

CONVEYING APPARATUS FOR DRYER April 21, 1959 Filed June 4, 1956 4' Sheets-Sheet 4 %%M m um. Q0 3w R Q R 111111 i n W L m L? F H \L w-\ 5; H .8 .11, lzllllllllllllllL llllllllllllllllllllll Wu. 4% $3 R MN X nu 111/ II I 11 1/ INVENTORS: Richazfi E. Chafli'amh'j Wm! Lu W ATTORNEYS- CONVEYING APPARATUS FOR DRYER Richard E. Charlton, Jr., Fairfax, and Verna L. Payne,

Shawmut, Ala., assignors to West Point Manufacturing Company, West Point, Ga., a corporation of Georgia Application June 4, 1956, Serial No. 589,225 3 Claims. (c1. 34-155 This invention relates to conveyors, and in particular to apparatus for conveying non-woven or similar fabric impregnated with liquid bonding material through drier equipment.

Non-woven fabrics are commonly manufactured by suspending textile fibers in an air stream, and then passing the air stream through a foraminous member to deposit a web of fibers thereon in random fashion. Wilson et al. Patent 2,477,675, issued August 2, 1949, and Phillips et a1. 2,648,876, issued August 18, 1953, illustrate preferred methods of manufacture. Since the non-woven web when initially deposited is light and fluffy, and possesses little strength, it is customary to apply a liquid binder or bonding agent thereto. As disclosed in the Wilson et al. patent referred to, the fabric is passed immediately after formation to impregnating apparatus and then to drying or drying and curing apparatus, whereby the web is stabilized and given adequate strength and other properties for further handling or ultimate use.

On leaving the impregnating apparatus, the wet fabric is still Weak, and incapable of supporting even its own weight except in short carries. The wet web, accordingly, must be adequately supported and conveyed into and through the drying apparatus. Preferred drying apparatus for initially formed and impregnated non-woven fabric is disclosed in the copending application of Charlton and Zeiger, Serial No. 616,001, filed October 15, 1956, now abandoned. In this drying apparatus, mass low temperature air flow through the fabric is employed for drying.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a drying conveyor including a continuous belt-like structure providing a flat, uninterrupted upper surface,

uniformly foraminous throughout to permit even mass air flow therethrough. The belt structure is adapted to travel smoothly about end sprockets of the conveyor and to automatically return, in its upper flight, to disposition providing the desired uninterrupted upper surface.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a drying conveyor lifting rolls at the infeed end thereof, and means driving the lifting rolls at peripheral speed coordinated with the speed of the conveyor, whereby a weak atent fabric may be supported and deposited upon the upper surface of the conveyor without straining or damaging the fabric web. Preferably, a plurality of lifting rolls are employed, disposed close together to provide short carries therebetween, and all are driven by means of a common drive interconnected with the conveyor belt drive.

Another object of the invention is to provide a drying conveyor having one end thereof resiliently mounted, whereby slack and shock are effectively taken up and the speed of the operative upper flight of the conveyor is maintained constant and uniform. Arelated object is the provision of means for adjustably'varying the resilient force of this mounting.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a novel conveyor belt structure, composed of a continuous andclosed seriesof pivot rods and pans. The foraminous ously urged in outward direction, or to the right as ice support pans are generally U-shaped, and pivotally engaged to associated rods by means of their legs, in such manner that the pan legs are substantially radial of the pivot rods. A related object is to provide continuous belt structure incorporating laterally offset support rollers and link bars, whereby a flight of the conveyor may be supported and stabilized by side supports carried by other equipment, such as a drier, such side supports being disposed outside the confines of the conveyor pans, Further objects will be in part evident and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention and the novel features thereof may best Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view through the upper flight of the conveyor, taken substantially on the line 44 of Figure 1, illustrating the side support thereof by the drier structure, and

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view through a belt pan and associated pivot rods, taken substantially on the line 55 of Figure 4.

Referring to the drawings in detail, in Figure 1 10 in dicates a framework supporting an impregnating apparatus, which may be of the type disclosed in the Phillips et a1. patent previously referred to. On leaving the impregnating apparatus, the impregnated fabric web 12 passes over a vacuum extractor 14, which sucks air through the fabric and removes excess impregnant therefrom.

The conveyor of the present invention, indicated gener ally as 16, is aligned with the path of the web 12 leaving the impregnating apparatus, and its infeed end is disposed, preferably, closely adjacent the framework 10 and vacuum extractor 14. At the infeed end of conveyor 16 are provided lifting rolls 18 and 20, which serve to support and carry the web onto the upper flight of the conveyor belt 22. The upper flight of the conveyor belt carries the web through the drying passage 24 of drier 26, and on leaving drier 26 the dried web is wound into a roll 28 on mandrel 30, which may be restrained from movement longitudinally of the convey-or by vertical guides 32 suitably mounted adjacent the sides of the upper conveyor flight. The lower return flight 34 extends below or through a lower section of the drier 26.

'The conveyor 16 extends between parallel, laterally spaced shafts 40 and 42. rotatably supported by bearings 44, fixedly mounted on the conveyor end frame 46. The infeed end shaft 42 of the conveyor is journalled in bearing blocks 48 (see Figure 3), each of which is slidably mounted between upper and lower guides 50 and 52 of a guide housing 54, the

Patented Apr. 21, 1959 Outfeed end shaft 40 is.

viewed in Figure 3. A threaded stud 66 extends outwardly from the outer end plate 58 of each guide housing through a flange 63 of frame 62 or other fixed element, and nuts 70 threadably engaged to the stud 66 on either side of flange 68 may be utilized to adjustably position and secure the guide housing 54 relative to its guide block 60. Such adjustment is effective to adjustably position the guide housing 54 longitudinally of frame 62, whereby the normal compression of spring 64- may be varied and the resilient force exerted by the spring against the engaged bearing block 48 correspondingly altered.

Each of the shafts 40, 42 carries a pair of sprockets 72 which engage the conveyor belt 22. The novel belt structure according to the invention includes a series of pivot rods 74, and support pans 76 extending between successive rods. The'pans 76 are U-shaped, each comprising a flat central support section 78 and legs 80 extending at right angles from the side edges thereof. The pans are constructed preferably of sheet metal, such as stainless steel, and the bends between the central support section and legs thereof are relatively sharp, that is on a small radius, to constitute sharp corners 82. By way of example, the pans may be 66 inches long and the central support sections thereof 8 inches wide, of sheet stainless steel inch thick, and the legs 80 may extend from the central section a distance of inches. The corner 82 may be turned on a radius of or of an inch. The support section 73 of each pan, as shown in Figure 5, is foraminous throughout its area, and preferably around the corners 82 also, being provided preferably with a multiplicity of punched openings A; inch in diameter constituting together As or /2 of the total area of the support section. For reasons presently apparent, the legs 80 need not be foraminous, but are preferably solid sheet members.

As best shown in Figures 4 and 5, a plurality of hinge members 84 extends from the outer end of each pan leg, enclosing the associated pivot rod. The hinge members on diverse legs of each pan are alternated and staggered, so that adjoining pans may be pivotally engaged to the intervening pivot rod in the manner of a piano hinge. As shown in Figure 5, the hinge members extend from the pan legs in the approximate shape of an eyelet, the center of which is in the plane of the outer surface of the leg. Accordingly, the legs of adjoining pans engaged to any pivot rod are substantially radial thereof, and abut each other in the upper and lower flights of the conveyor.

As seen in Figure 4, the pivot rods 74 extend outwardly beyond the confines of the support pans 76, and carry adjacent their ends support rollers 86. Each end of each pivot rod 74 is joined to the preceding and trailing pivot rods by a pair of rigid links 88, the link pairs being alternately staggered in and out for clearance purposes. The support rollers 86 are adapted to fit the roller seats 90 of the sprockets 72, and the links 88 serve to maintain the support rollers 86 in alignment with the sprockets, and also to space the pivot rods and carry the loads. therebetween, whereby the pans 76 are effectively relieved of stress.

As noted, the support rollers 86 of the conveyor belt are disposed outwardly of the confines of the support pans, and accordingly do notinterfere with air movement through the pans, This disposition of the support rollers also permits guidance and support thereof, throughout either orboth flights of the belt, by supports carried by other equipment. In Figure 4, for example, inner rails 92 of the drier 2 6 support and stabilize the rollers 86 in the upper flight of thejconveyor, and the, drier structure a s pr v d on in lly extending baffie p es. 94 disposed over the sides of the belt, for a purpose resen p ar At thr, infeed end of the conveyor, the lifting rolls 18, and 2 0 are mounted in fixed bearings suitably supported by the end frame 62. As indicated in Figure l.

h onv yor is, p e b y. disp d t its pp r face, that is the top surfaces of the support pans 76 in the upper flight of the belt, substantially level with the vacuum extractor 14 of the impregnating apparatus. The leading lifting roll 18 is disposed above the outer end of the conveyor, as closely as possible to the impregnating apparatus, with its axis elevated slightly above the impregnating apparatus and conveyor top, whereby the web 12 may be lifted somewhat in a short carry from the impregnating apparatus. The trailing lifting roll 20 is disposed on a somewhat higher level, immediately above the top flight of the conveyor, and is disposed in approximate vertical coincidence with the conveyor shaft 42, or slightly inwardly thereof.

The conveyor is driven through its outfeed end shaft 40, by any conventional source of power connected thereto as by gearing or chain. The infeed end conveyor shaft 42 is provided with an outwardly extended end (see Figures 2 and 3), which mounts a sprocket 102 engaged in driving relationship by chain 104 to a smaller sprocket 106 fixed on a frame mounted idler stub shaft 108. The idler shaft 163 carries another sprocket 110, which is engaged in driving relationship by chain 112 to sprockets 114 and 116 mounted respectively on corresponding ends of the lifting rolls 18 and 20. In this manner, the lifting rolls are driven in coordination with the conveyor. A single lifting roll, disposed in substantial vertical coin-- cidence with the underlying conveyor shaft, may suflice in many cases, but a plurality thereof is preferred, especially for handling heavy and very wet fabrics.

In operation, the shaft 40 is driven whereby the conveyor belt is moved continuously and at a constant rate. The fabric web, it will be understood, is carried through the preceding impregnating apparatus continuously, and is then lifted and carried by the rolls 18 and 20 of the conveyor to a position over the upper flight of its belt, as shown in Figure 3, and then laid onto the upper flight. The peripheral speed of the lifting rolls desirably is slightly greater than the speed of travel of the web through the impregnating apparatus, and sightly less (by about 1 or 2%) than the lineal speed of the conveyor belt between sprockets, whereby slight extension of the wet web is ab sorbed and the web is laid onto the upper flight of the belt Without any substantial strain thereon other than that due to its own weight. The conveyor drive may include a variable speed transmission for ready adjustment thereof, and the difference in speed between the conveyor belt and the lifting rolls may be provided in the drive between shaft 42 and the lifting rolls.

As the belt traverses the sprockets, the pan legs separate cleanly as shown in Figure 3, and as the pans reach the top of the drive sprockets of shaft 42, they close positively and cleanly so that the support sections 78 constitute a substantially planar surface throughout the upper flight of the belt. Due to the sharp radius of curvature of the pan corners 82, only minor grooves in the upper belt surface are formed thereby, insuificient to mark the web being dried. The pan support sections 78 being foraminous throughout, air may be passed freely through the web and the supporting conveyor belt. The extension of the foramina around the pan corners assures that air may pass, with equal freedom. through the belt at the jointsbetween successive pans. As previously indicated, and as illustrated in Figure 4, the upper flight of the belt may be supported as by rails 92 in passage through other equipment, such as the drier referred to, whereby the belt upper flight isv prevented from sagging and maintained quite planar. The rails 92 by reason of their oifset disposition do not interfere with passage of air through the belt. The bafile plates 94 disposed above the upper conveyor. flight may besized in width to coincide with the edges of the web 12, to preclude or minimize passage of air around the edges of the web. The lower flight of the belt may be supported by similar rails, or may be permittedto sag of its own weight. The springs 64, aeting against the conveyor. end. opposite to that being driven, maintain constant pressure on shaft 42 and the belt 22, thereby minimizing shock and slack, and particularly serving to prevent minor variations in the speed of the belt. It is essential, of course, that the upper flight of the belt and the lifting rolls move at smoothly coordinated and even speeds relative to the web, to avoid creasing or undue extension thereof. Adjustment of the springs 64 makes it possible to maintain desired belt tension in compensation for changes in temperature and other variables. The movement of the conveyor is utilized to turn roll 28 and mandrel 30 at the outfeed end of the conveyor, whereby the roll is wound automatically, the vertical guides 32 permitting the mandrel to rise as the roll diameter increases, but maintaining the relative longitudinal position of the mandrel.

The drier 26 may be pressurized, and the upper flight of the conveyor belt 22 may pass through relatively small openings therein, in order to minimize leakage. The pan legs 80 being preferably solid, they serve to maintain the drier openings substantially closed at all times, whereby leakage through these openings is maintained at a minimum.

As previously indicated, the axis of the trailing lifting roll 20 is disposed in approximate vertical coincidence with the conveyor shaft 42. Considerable latitude is possible in this relationship, the essential consideration being that the web 12 is laid by the lifting roll onto the upper flight of the conveyor beyond the point at which it attains level and planar disposition.

The conveyor belt is exceedingly simple in construction and operation, and requires little or no maintenance. All necessary lubrication is confined to the pivot rods 74, which are well spaced from the support sections 78 of the pans 76, thereby obviating the possibility of marking the web on the support pans. The support rollers 86 being disposed outwardly of the pans, drippage therefrom is no hazard to the fabric web 12.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided by this invention an apparatus in which the various objects hereinbefore set forth, together with many practical advantages, are successfully achieved. As various possible embodiments may be made of the mechanical features of the above invention, all without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

We claim:

1. A foraminous drying conveyor for non-woven fabric and the like comprising a pair of laterally spaced and parallel shafts, sprockets on each of said shafts, a continuous conveyor belt encircling said sprockets and drivingly engaged thereto, said belt including a series of spaced parallel pivot rods and U-shaped pans extending therebetween, each pan having a flat central support section and legs extending at right angles from the side edges thereof, each support section being joined to its legs by relatively sharp corners and being foraminous throughout its area and corners, each pan leg being pivotally engaged to an associated rod, a support roller mounted adjacent each end of each pivot rod outside said pans, said support rollers being adapted for engagement by said sprockets, and rigid link bars extending between successive rods adjacent said support rollers, means for driving one of said shafts at the outfeed end of said belt whereby said belt is driven, means resiliently urging the other of said shafts away from said driven shaft, a lifting roll mounted closely over the infeed end of said conveyor belt in approximate vertical coincidence with said other shaft, means for driving said lifting roll at a peripheral speed slightly less than the lineal speed of said belt in its travel between sprockets, said means comprising a wheel mounted on one end of said other shaft, an idler shaft supported in spaced parallel relation to said other shaft, a pair wheels of different diameters on said idler shaft, and means for transmitting rotary movement from said first wheel to the smaller of said pair of wheels, a wheel on one end of said lifting roll, said last-mentioned wheel being disposed above and in the same plane as said larger wheel on said idler shaft, a second lifting roll spaced from and disposed in parallel relation to said first lifting roll, said second lifting roll being arranged at a higher level and at a greater distance from the infeed end of said conveyor than said first lifting roll, a wheel on one end of said second lifting roll, said last-mentioned wheel being disposed in the same plane as both the wheel on said first roll and said larger wheel on said idler shaft, and means for transmitting rotary movement from the larger of said pair of wheels to the wheels on said rolls.

2. A foraminous drying conveyor as defined in claim 1, wherein said wheels are in the form of sprockets, and said means for transmitting motion is a sprocket chain.

3. A foraminous drying conveyor as defined in claim 1, wherein each pan leg extends radially from its pivot rod, and said link bars are separate from said pans.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,507,832 Henry Sept. 9, 1924 1,587,896 Butterworth June 8, 1926 2,197,776 Argabrite et al Apr. 23, 1940 2,486,903 Wormell Nov. 1, 1949 2,493,194 Heino Jan. 3, 1950 2,628,705 Kline et a1. Feb. 17, 1953 2,658,607 Moynihan Nov. 10, 2,671,745 Slayter Mar 9, 1954 

